Wendy Ware was a champion who died young. To those she knew at Bloomington High School South she was a friend, a student and an athlete.

Ware, who was killed Monday in a car crash south of Bloomington, was remembered by friends Tuesday as someone people could trust with their problems. Her friends said she loved to go out and have people over to her house.

”She had a great personality and she loved to laugh,” said friend Tom Stryker. ”She had long brown, wavy hair and beautiful green eyes. She was full of life. If you had a best friend who was a girl – she was definitely it. I couldn’t have had a better friend.”

One classmate said he sat next to Ware in psychology class and the two talked about many different things.

”She was uplifted spiritually. She didn’t let things get to her. She was focused on her school work and her sports. Wendy Ware was liked by everyone. She was just one of those all-around great people,” said Joe Shelton.

Wendy’s dedication to sports was appreciated by her coaches. She excelled in swimming and tennis and earned varsity letters in both. She was to have been captain of the South girls swim team in the fall.

”She was always in the locker room getting ready to practice swimming or coming out of the water,” said South athletics director Georgia Tidd. ”We’re all very shocked. Wendy could have participated in any sport she chose. The test of a good athlete is to work off-season. Wendy was always working off-season.”

She worked as hard in the classroom as she did on the tennis courts or in the pool, said South principal Mike Riggle.

”Wendy was an outstanding young lady. It’s a real tragedy because she had a bright future and a lot of potential. It’s a real shock to the people at South High School,” he said.

Some students have a difficult time coping with the death of a friend, said Bloomington psychiatrist Joseph King, who said talking about the tragedy may help some people.

”It’s normal to grieve and grieving can contribute to growth. And above all else, adolescents must grow. There’s no point in suppressing it. Grief must be acknowledged and somehow be made a part of growth,” he said.

Teens may need to talk to different people about their grief, King said. Some may need to talk with each other, to parents or clergy, he added.

”One thing that young people need to now about is that everybody dies. Young people need to face the reality of death not only in their grandparents but also at times in their midst,” King said.

Source:  Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN) — Wednesday, July 3, 1991